


Just a Little Rush, Babe

by quietpastelcolours



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: But also, Cricketrat AU, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Instant Romantic Connection, Love at First Sight, Lust at First Sight, Oral Sex, Public Nudity, Soulmate AU, an AU in which Junkrat is a famous cricketer and Satya is a cricket fan, hm idk what else to tag, sort of bc they don't realise it BUT IT'S THERE, with a hint of soulmate au so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 15:37:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18853990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietpastelcolours/pseuds/quietpastelcolours
Summary: Satya Vaswani was excited for the third test between India and Australia, but she didn't think she'd meet Jamison Fawkes, one of the more popular members of the Australian team, but she did and to her surprise, there's an instant connection...





	Just a Little Rush, Babe

It was very hot.

So hot that Satya headed towards a vendor she could see, hawking drinks and snacks for the cricket match, and went to buy herself a cold bottle of water. She paid the man and went to step back, only to bump into someone. The streets were crowded as people headed to the stadium for the match, but she grimaced anyway and turned slightly, an apology on the tip of her tongue.

“Shit, sorry, mate.” The man she’d bumped into beat her to it, and Satya eyed him for a moment, intrigued by his thick and very obviously Australian accent. He was a white man, of whom she’d seen quite a few of dotted about, come to support their team. Wild blond hair peeked from beneath a cap emblazoned with the Australian National Cricket Team’s logo, and dark sunglasses shielded his eyes. He was wearing a cricket jersey as well, green and gold, and Satya unconsciously straightened her back, the better to display her practically identical outfit, though she was clad in shades of blue - the colours of the Indian National Cricket Team.

“It’s no trouble,” she replied, consciously shifting into English, and the man broke out into what was clearly a relieved smile.

“Yeah? Glad y’speak English. Forgot for a moment where I was; thought I’d have t’bust out the phrasebook.”

Satya had not been expecting to be drawn into conversation with this man, but was unable to help the brow she raised in derision.

“You  _ forgot,” _ she said drily, giving a pointed glance around them, where all manner of people were speaking languages that were most certainly not English. 

“Er, yeah.” The man rubbed the back of his neck in what was clearly an exaggeratedly awkward fashion, then grinned at her. “Y’goin’ t’the cricket?”

“Obviously,” Satya replied, taking a sip of her water.

“Ooh, frosty. Looks like we got off on the wrong foot. M’name’s Jamie.” He stuck out a hand for her to shake, and Satya realised with fascination that his prosthetic arm - for he was missing both arm and leg on his right side - was actually painted green and gold, his national colours.

“That’s rather patriotic,” she noted as she shook his hand reflexively, and Jamie laughed.

“Yeah, I figured, why not? Hey, y’wanna walk with me t’the stadium?”

Satya considered this question in shock. Was he serious? A man she’d met barely three seconds ago, while she was on her own - but then again, she was in a very public area. Of course, that didn’t always denote safety, but she was very confident in her ability to defend herself with hardlight. And in any case, she was headed to the stadium anyway. If he did have ill intentions, it wouldn’t be hard for him to follow her. 

“I suppose,” she replied hesitantly, and Jamie chuckled. 

“Great! So, uh, what’s your name?”

Satya realised at that moment that while he’d introduced himself, she hadn’t. “My name is Satya,” she informed him, and he grinned behind the sunglasses - Satya wondered why he didn’t take them off when he was speaking to her. He didn’t appear to be vision impaired, and not being able to see his eyes made it harder to decipher the right kind of social responses she was supposed to use. She considered it very rude of him to leave them on.

“Satya! That’s a pretty name. So, d’ya live here?”

“I do,” she confirmed. “I gather you don’t.”

Jamie giggled. “Sure don’t! Not that Utopaea ain’t a lovely place t’be, but it ain’t home.”

“Where do you come from?” Satya asked. “Australia, of course, but-”

“Oh, I’m from Queensland. Northern Territory, originally, but I’ve been livin’ in Queensland for years now.”

“I see. I’m afraid I’ve only been to Melbourne and Sydney.”

Satya was surprised to hear him make a disgusted sound as they headed towards the stadium. 

“Melbourne an’ Sydney? That explains it.”

Satya arched a brow. “Explains what?”

Jamie scoffed. “Y’know, they ain’t the  _ real _ Australia. Bloody Melbournites - useless cityslickers, the lot of ‘em.”

“I see. I take it you don’t live in a city?”

“Sorta. Live in Yeppoon. Outside it, really. Nice little spot. Got a place just up the coast a bit - got a beach t’myself, practically.”

“That sounds lovely,” Satya said, intrigued despite herself. “I’ve never heard of ‘Yeppoon’.”

“Well, it’s only little, but it’s fuckin’ gorgeous. Beaches, markets, islands… it’s great. Far cry from where I grew up but it’s nice.” Jamie grinned down at her. “You a Utopaea local?”

Satya looked around at the pristine streets and gleaming skyscrapers, and up ahead, the massive, awe-inspiring modern stadium, and thought for a moment how different it was to where she had grown up. “No,” she admitted. “I grew up in Hyderabad. I moved to Utopaea for my career.”

“No shit?” Jamie sounded delighted. “I was in Hyderabad just a couple of days ago, for the first test!”

“Oh, you saw it?” Satya asked enviously. “I wasn’t able to get the time off work. Do you follow the Australian team about?”

Jamie’s grin widened. “You could say that.”

“Have you seen every test so far?” she asked, and he nodded.

“You could say that, too.”

“How lucky you are.” Emboldened by his familiar conversation, Satya smiled. “Of course, we’re going to beat you today.”

Jamie grinned and leaned down to her height - he was very tall, probably nearing a foot taller than she was. “Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?”

“Hayaf Choudhary,” Satya said smugly, naming the man who was lauded as one of the greatest Indian batsmen of the twenty-first century, and she was very satisfied to see Jamie’s face fall slightly.

“Yeah, he might be a problem,” he admitted. “But y’know, we’ve won the second test-”

“And we won the first,” Satya interjected, and Jamie grinned.

“Yep. Today’s the decider, huh?”

“May the best team win,” she said, and he held out his hand again.

“May the best team win,” he agreed, and they shook hands on it. “How ‘bout a bet?” Jamie asked, and Satya raised a brow. 

“What stakes?”

“Twenty bucks says Australia wins.” He paused and grinned at her. “And I get t’buy you a drink.”

Satya bit her lower lip for a moment, unable to suppress her smile. She didn’t particularly enjoy being hit on by strangers most of the time, but Jamie seemed rather charming, somehow - and there wasn’t much chance of Australia winning, she was sure of it. “You want me to pay you twenty dollars if Australia wins? And then what, you’ll buy me a drink with my own money?”

Jamie laughed out loud and she couldn’t help her answering smile.

“If that’s what it takes,” he grinned at her. “And once we’ve won the trophy, I’ll get a picture of it for ya.”

“How generous,” Satya said drily. 

They’d reached the entrance to the stadium - or one of them, at least - and Satya stopped at the back of the line, preparing to reach into her bag for her ticket. She enjoyed, as always, the aesthetic design of the place - she had designed it herself, as one of her more major contracts. The stadium was only fairly new - it was about two years old, and she still delighted in the fizzy feeling of excitement at the thought of it being  _ her _ design.

“Wait, whatcha doin’?” Jamie asked, having walked a few steps away from her before he realised she was no longer walking with him.

Satya arched a brow. “I’m getting into line. Shouldn’t you, as well?”

“Ohh, yeah,” he grinned suddenly and adjusted his sunglasses. “Guess you’re right.”

Satya found this strange and when he got into line with her, she kept a wary eye on him. He was fun to talk to, but he was behaving quite peculiarly. She got the gate after several long minutes waiting in line and then noticed that there was security running everywhere, and up ahead, she could see what looked to be cricket officials huddled worriedly around. She turned to look at Jamie, who was watching the officials with a broad grin on his face. The more she looked, the more she realised there was something in the air beyond cricket fever, and then one of the officials happened to glance their way - then pointed at Jamie and let out a yell.

They were surrounded in an instant, Jamie laughing and holding up his hands in mock surrender, and Satya stared, utterly lost - until he took off his sunglasses and offered her a grin.

Satya’s jaw dropped.

_ Junkrat. _

The most well known member of the Australian cricket team, partly because he was an enormously skilled player, but also because he got up to a lot of crazy stunts, such as the time he’d started a fire -  _ on _ the cricket pitch. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure why he hadn’t been kicked off the team yet, but she supposed the draw was his popularity. He was a star on and off the pitch, and was often seen on magazine covers and sleazy tabloids, with multitudes of scantily dressed men and women draped over him. Satya didn’t know what to say or do as the cricket officials surrounded Jamie and began grilling him on where he’d been, while Satya stood and stared, trying to work out what had just happened.

Jamie had - what? Snuck out of the stadium and away from his teammates and security just before the match, and then - bumped into her, and decided to stay? Why on earth would he do such a thing? How had she not recognised him? A cap and sunglasses wasn’t what she’d call the worlds best disguise, and Satya was disgusted with herself for not realising sooner.

“Junkrat, you need to get into your uniform now,” a stern faced man snapped. “Where the  _ hell _ have you been?”

To his credit, Jamie seemed entirely unphased as he stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned. “I was busy escortin’ this lovely lady right here t’the cricket. Speakin’ of which, y’can get her into VIP, right Bazza?”

Satya’s jaw dropped for the second time in five minutes. VIP seating? For her? Why?

Bazza - the stern man - looked her up and down and then sighed resignedly. “Fine. Just get your shit together, Rat.” Turning to face her, the man pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. “Can I see your ID, miss?”

Satya made the mistake of glancing back to Jamie - he was grinning arrogantly at her, like he was pleased he was so graciously performing charity for a lowly mortal such as herself, and she narrowed her eyes. 

“I am already in VIP seating,” she said coldly. “I built this stadium, and I certainly don’t need  _ you _ to get me better seating.”

Jamie looked staggered. “You’re - what? Who are ya, again?”

“My name is Satya Vaswani,” Satya informed haughtily, concealing a smile when several of the Indian officials with them inhaled sharply, clearly recognising the name. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t dream of being this arrogant in public, but Jamie’s assumptions deserved it.

He was staring at her, looking rather shocked, but then the corner of his mouth crooked up and he looked impressed, to which Satya narrowed her eyes further.

“Miss Vaswani!” One of the stadium officials nodded vigorously at her. “Would you come this way, ma’am? I’ll escort you straight to your seat.”

Satya knew exactly where VIP seating was, since she’d designed it, but nodded graciously. “Thank you.”

She walked away with the official, but not before she heard Bazza say in a shocked voice, “Rat, did you know who she was?”

“No, I - she just said her name was Satya.” That was Jamie and he sounded perplexed, and Satya’s smile curved her lips as she headed along the corridor and showed her ticket - VIP seating already listed - to the ticket taker, and then shuffled through the crowds to take her seat. VIP seating was, as usual, comfortable and much more private and spacious than regular seating, and she placed her purse on the table beside her and settled down to wait for the match to begin.

The whole time she was waiting, she turned Junkrat over in her mind. He’d introduced himself as Jamie - digging her phone from her purse, she quickly googled him and - yes, Jamison Fawkes. That was his name, but no one called him that. Even the announcers in his cricket matches tended to call him by his nickname. By all accounts, he preferred Junkrat - she found an interview and scrolled through it to find him mentioning how he didn’t like the name Jamison - so why had he wanted her to know him as Jamie? Satya mulled over this until it was time for the match to begin, and both teams filed out onto the pitch for the national anthems.

Satya eyed the Australian team with significant interest, scanning the ranks of men in their green and gold uniforms until she found the tall, lanky blond with prosthetics; the crowds had gone wild when he’d emerged onto the pitch and raised both hands into the air, fingers extended into the sign of the horns, tongue out. He was a very popular man in the world of cricket, and with his cheery, cocky grin flashing on the screens above them, it wasn’t hard to see why. The national anthems went by and both teams began to prepare for the match, and Satya began to lose herself in the excitement of the game, rather than mulling over the enigma of Jamison ‘Junkrat’ Fawkes.

India was off to a good start - they won the coin toss and batted during the first innings, and worked up some decent runs. Jamie, as the Australians were fielding, had ended up covering deep mid-wicket, which coincidentally happened to be almost directly below her seat. Satya was seated right at the barrier for the best view, and as the VIP stands offered perfect, unobstructed views, she could practically hold a conversation with him - and when he turned around to gaze up into her section and met her eyes with a cocky grin, she got the idea he’d chosen this position on purpose. Perhaps it was arrogant of her to think so - maybe he just liked to be further out when he was fielding. Either way, India was - she crossed her fingers - winning so far, and when Hayaf Choudhary stepped up to bat, Satya surged to her feet along with the rest of the crowd, anticipation thrumming through her bones.

Choudhary was an incredible player, and the hum vibrating through the crowds as they waited for Hamilton, the Australian bowler, was electrifying. Satya found herself holding her breath as Hamilton prepared himself and then with a quick smooth stroke, bowled the cricket ball. There was a sharp crack of impact and then Satya was scanning the pitch, searching for the tell-tale flash of red that would indicate where Choudhary had hit the ball. Choudhary was off and running, and Satya clenched her fists in delight as he touched his bat to the ground at the opposite wicket and took off back towards his wicket. He’d managed an excellent boundary hit and got six runs before the ball was captured by an Australian out in the wings, and Satya clapped her hands as the crowds cheered.

The match went on and then - the ball was hit and it came  India’s score was looking  _ very _ good, enough so that Satya was feeling cautiously optimistic, and then the innings ended and the signal sounded for the teams to switch sides, and Jamie turned and looked up into the VIP section from where he was still positioned on the pitch just below her. He met her gaze and winked, expression a blend of arrogance and exuberance, and Satya arched a skeptical brow at him, which made him grin before he moved towards the benches.

The second innings began with a bang, as the first Australian striker was bowled out on his first go, prompting cheers and boos. The next man up to bat was… Jamie. Satya sat forward on the edge of her seat, watching eagerly. She wanted him to lose miserably, of course, but there was a small part of her that, now she was acquainted with him, wanted to see him do well. Or at the very least, not be embarrassed. 

Jamie showed off, raising his arms to the crowd and taunting the bowler, and smirking at the cameras as his face lit up the gigantic screens positioned all around the stadium. Satya watched in breathless anticipation as the bowler prepared, bowled, and - five runs. It was a good beginning and it made Satya sit back in her seat with pursed lips, unwillingly impressed.

The competition was fierce by the end of the match, but the results were clear; victory was India’s, with a lead of a mere three wickets, and Satya shot to her feet along with the rest of the crowds as they roared their approval, her earplugs in to stifle the din. The match was over and people were preparing to leave, but Satya remained where she was, preferring to leave last rather than be caught in the crush of people going through the exits. She packed away her earplugs, pulled out her phone and began scrolling through Twitter, liking several posts celebrating India’s victory, and then a few minutes later, she became aware of a figure approaching her seat. Satya glanced up to see if they were trying to get past her, and did a double take when she recognised the man.

Jamie very casually slung himself down into the seat beside her, looked out over the pitch, then turned to grin at her.

“So, how’d y’like the match?”

Satya smiled back excitedly, her emotions running high from India's victory. “I told you we would win.”

Jamie groaned exaggeratedly. “Aw, c’mon. Three wickets! What a fuckin’ joke.”

That reminded her, and she arched a brow. “I suppose this means you owe me-”

“Twenty bucks, yeah,” he groaned, then grinned at her with a suggestive waggle of his brows. “Does this mean you have t’buy me a drink?”

Satya considered this for a moment. He was very obviously flirting with her - offering to buy her a drink, not once, but twice, trying to get her into VIP seating, seeking her out after the match? He had to be flirting with her. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but… something told her to go for it. She had the day off and something about him was quite charming, and more than that, he was a professional player of her favourite sport, so the chance to pick his brains was more than appealing. The fact that he seemed to find her just as appealing flattered her enormously, and so she smiled.

“I don’t think so.”

Jamie’s grin faltered and he looked genuinely disappointed for a moment, which pleased her, and then she continued. 

“You already offered. You can’t take that back.”

Jamie’s face lit up. “Yeah? You free now?”

Now? He certainly seemed eager. Satya suppressed a smile and nodded. “I am, but are you? The match only just finished. Won’t you be needed?”

“Good point.” Jamie tugged his phone out of his pocket and messaged someone quickly. “There. Got the afternoon off now.”

He gave her such an infectious smile she couldn’t help but smile back and then he stood up.

“C’mon, I know a real nice little…” he trailed off and looked embarrassed, and Satya grinned as she stood. Clearly, that was a line he used quite a bit.

“Oh, so you say that to all the girls? I’m not surprised.” Satya was, however, a little surprised that he abruptly looked nervous, like he was afraid he’d just ruined his chances.

“Uhhh yeaah… you’ll still come for drinks, though, yeah?”

He looked so hopeful that Satya was quite charmed by it. “Perhaps you’ll let me choose where we go?”

Jamie laughed, his smile lighting up his eyes. “Sounds like a plan, darl.”

Satya bit the inside of her lip at the pet name; he certainly laid it on thick. Still, it had been quite a while since she’d gone on a date, and she was enjoying the flattery. She was still a little annoyed with him over the VIP seating incident, but… she supposed she could make an exception and see if he could give her an enjoyable afternoon. Jamie scooted out of the aisle and waited for her to join him, but rather than head towards the official exit, he jerked his head towards the stairs that led towards the inside of the stadium. 

“Why this way?” Satya asked curiously, and Jamie grinned. 

“Oh, y’know, it’s easier to avoid the crowds this way. Also, m’car’s out back so yeah. Easier this way.”

“I see,” Satya slipped her purse over her shoulder and followed him down. “You played well,” she told him, and he chuckled.

“Cheers. Wish I’d gotten a few more wickets, though. I wanted that bloody trophy.” The irritation in his tone made her feel smug.

“There’s always the next test.”

“Hmph. Thought we had this one in the bag. Y’right though, next time we’ll bloody thump ya.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Satya teased as he opened the door for her and they headed downstairs, into the corridors that snaked through the bowels of the stadium, past several people who were on their way up.

“Oh, just you wait,” he threatened gleefully. “We’ll thrash ya.”

“We’ll see,” Satya said with confidence. “Ah… where is your car?”

“In the player’s park. Zipped her in there in between a bus or two. Mighta pissed the busses off but hey. I need a set of wheels.”

Satya found this intriguing. “It isn’t  _ your _ car, is it? Surely you didn’t bring it over from-”

“Australia? Nah. She’s a rental, but she gets the job done.” He cast a generally approving look at her outfit. “Blue’s a grouse colour on her, too.”

“Grouse?” Satya inquired, and Jamie grinned.

“Good, “ he elaborated. “But in this case, I meant bloody gorgeous and sexy as fuck.”

Satya hid a smile; there was no misinterpreting  _ that, _ and butterflies erupted in her stomach. “I would have thought a man like you would prefer green and gold,” she said coyly, and Jamie stopped walking to look at her in the corridor, something serious settling into the planes of his face. “Nah,” he said quietly, and lifted his hand to brush his thumb over the blue tint of her lipstick, matched perfectly to the shade of her shirt. “She looks bloody good in blue.”

Satya’s heart stopped; she stared at him, lips parting gently beneath his touch as the heat of his skin seared through her. Jamie dropped his hand and gave her a crooked smile and ushered her on, and Satya walked beside him, quite unable to articulate the riotous clash of feeling wreaking havoc on her emotions. She felt somewhat breathless, her pulse fluttering in her throat, and she snuck a quick glance to the side to find Jamie walking beside her, tall and confident, his grin pleased. 

Seeking to regain control of both herself and the situation, Satya cleared her throat softly and groped for a new topic of conversation.

“So… where are we going, precisely? Coffee? Or were you thinking alcohol?” she continued rather doubtfully, disliking the thought of drinking in daytime.

Jamie glanced down at her, evidently having heard her tone, and grinned. “Coffee’s fine. Maybe y’know a little coffee shop roundabouts?”

“Perhaps a teahouse instead?” she countered. “There’s one towards the river that’s my favourite.”

“River, ay? Got a view?”

“Yes, actually. It’s in a skyscraper.”

“Oh. Sounds fair. Must be good, if you like it.”

More flattery; Satya bit her lower lip to stop a smile. “It is good.”

They reached the carpark and, Jamie having explained to security that she was meant to be with him, Satya stepped out into a carpark that she hadn’t entered since she had built it, and happily examined the layout of the place, not starkly empty as it had been when she’d built it, but full of cars and buses.

True to Jamie’s word, he had parked in a bus space, and Satya could see irritation on the face of the bus driver parked behind him whenever the man glanced at the flashy blue Ferrari. Satya had to admit she was impressed when he hurried around to open the door for her, swinging it up and out of the way as she slipped into the expensive looking interior. Jamie then hustled around to the drivers side and settled himself behind the wheel.

“So, where to?” he asked with a grin. “This teahouse, yeah?”

“Yes, my favourite,” Satya agreed. “You’ll need to turn left out of the carpark.”

“Aight, can do.” 

The Ferrari started with a purr and while Jamie concentrated on reversing out of the bus space, Satya settled back against the plush leather seats, then rummaged through her purse for some lipgloss, which she applied to the centre of her lips to jazz up her colour a little.

“Oi, y’can’t just do that in public,” he said with a grin, and Satya turned to raise a brow at him as he merged into the terribly crowded traffic as people streamed from the stadium.

“Do what?”

“Puttin’ y’lippy on like that. It’s fuckin’ distractin’.”

Satya smiled slowly. “Distracting?”

“Oi, none of that,” he warned, waggling a finger at her mock-threateningly. “I’m tryna drive, here!”

Satya slowly raised her ring finger back to her lips to continue buffing in the gloss, conscious of Jamie frequently glancing back at her, his attention quite thoroughly glued to her mouth. This wasn’t entirely smart, seeing as he was driving, so Satya lowered her hands to her lap.

“You need to turn right at the next lights,” she said demurely, fighting a smile when he swore and had to hurriedly merge into the right lane, causing a great deal of honking behind them. “Why don’t you put it on autopilot?”

“I like drivin’,” Jamie grinned at her briefly. “Gives me somethin’ t’do.  _ Hate _ when y’got autopilot on an’ y’just gotta sit on y’arse for hours, twiddlin’ y’thumbs.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Turn right here.” Satya peered down the street, getting her bearings for a moment. “You need to get into the left lane and take the first exit on the freeway.”

“Gotcha.” Jamie looked across at her briefly. “So, how long y’been into cricket?”

“My whole life,” she replied simply. “I used to watch it with my father.” 

“Yeah? Nice. Used t’watch it with my dad too. Old man damn near had a coronary when I made the team.”

“How sweet.” Satya smiled at the mental image. “Does he come to watch your matches?”

“Uh, he did. Been dead somethin’ like six years, now.”

“Oh, I am sorry-”

“Don’t sweat it, darl. Hey, straight ahead through these lights?”

Satya peered out the window, grateful from the distraction from her faux-pas. “Yes, straight ahead until… see the office building on the left? You need to turn down that street.”

Jamie did so and Satya nodded in approval as the building which housed her favourite teahouse came into view. It was a tower building, like most to be found in Utopaea, and  _ Noor’s Chaayakhaana  _ was on the eleventh floor.

“You’ll like Noor’s, I’m sure,” Satya said once they had found a park with a little difficulty, and had entered the elevator. “It has an amazing view.”

“What’d y’say? Noors? That the name of it?”

“The name of the woman who owns it, yes,” Satya corrected. “Noor.”

“Right! Noor. Gotcha.”

Satya had to suppress a smile; ‘Noor’ sounded atrocious in his accent. The elevator doors slid open and Satya led him through the small lobby space, past the boutiques that filled the eleventh floor, and pushed open the door of a teahouse tucked away towards the back of the building, where the modern architecture mingled with traditional Indian style to create a cosy atmosphere which has swiftly become one of her favourite places to relax and unwind with the perfect cup of chai.

“Satya!” 

Satya turned to see Noor wave at her from behind the counter, and smiled back; Noor was working today, which was both good and bad. Satya had built up friendship with the owner of the teahouse thanks to her frequent patronage, and Noor was bound to ask who Jamie was.

“Noor, how are you?” she asked in Hindi, leading Jamie over beside her.

Noor looked him up and down, her grin infectious. “I’m well,” she replied in the same language. “Who is this?”

“This is Jamie,” Satya replied, wondering for a moment if Noor had ever told her that she followed the cricket. She glanced up at him, where he was clearly attempting to work out what she’d said that included his name. “The, ah… cricketer.”

Noor’s face lit up. “A cricketer? Really? I want some details, Satya.”

“And you’ll get them… when he’s not here,” Satya replied delicately, to Noor’s obvious delight.

“Jamie, this is Noor,” she introduced him quickly in English. “She’s a good friend.”

“Nice t’meetcha,” Jamie said with a nod of his head, which was greeted with puzzlement from Noor, who didn’t speak much English. After a few moments during which Satya translated for the two, she led him over to her favourite spot, in the corner by the windows, which gave her the most magnificent view of the river.

“Crikey!” Jamie evidently had the same idea as he plastered his nose against the window. “Christ, what a view! I can see why y’like it!”

“I can see that you’re not afraid of heights,” Satya remarked wryly, and he grinned at her.

“Never say no to a bit of roof hoppin’, nah.” His words were breezy and Satya half-smiled before opening her menu.

“Do you need a translation?” she inquired, and he nodded, brows furrowed as he took in the Hindi script.

“Yeah please, darl. What’s the deal here? Drinks? Drinks and food?”

“Drinks and food,” Satya assured him. “It’s basically a café, but with very good tea.”

“Oh yeah? Righto, what’s the best tea on offer?” he wagged his brows at her. “Gotta sample the local cuisine, yeah?”

She stifled a smile behind her fingers and dutifully read through the menu, translating as she went. Jamie settled on mango lassi instead of tea, and teamed it with gulab jamun, and Satya went back to Noor to order, getting thandai and ras malai for herself. She fielded Noor’s questions and then hurried back, cheeks flushed from Noor’s suggestive hints.

Jamie smiled slowly at her, and Satya thought to herself how very unfair it was that he could act in this manner, so cocky and yet so bloody attractive. She didn’t know how he did it, but he did, and it affected her more than she was willing to let on.

“Ah… how long will you stay in India?” she asked, looking for something to say. She was genuinely curious though, for now the cricket was over now that India had won, and she assumed the Australian team would be heading home soon.

“Three days,” Jamie replied with a grin. “Why, y’makin’ plans already? Maybe you’d like t’see me again?”

Her cheeks, already hot, flushed harder and Satya took a sip of cold water to distract herself and cool down. “I was just wondering.”

“I want t’see you again.”

His voice was so intense that she started, and looked up. “What? Why?”

“T’be perfectly honest, I ain’t so sure.” Jamie ran his finger around the rim of his glass of water contemplatively. “You’re gorgeous, but that ain’t it. Not entirely. Feels easy, talkin’ to ya. Feels nice.”

Satya stared at him for a long moment, entirely unable to find her voice. “I… I find it easy, too,” she finally whispered, and he smiled, without the cocky edge. He was pleased and Satya took another sip of water in a vain attempt to drown the butterflies in her stomach; this attraction between them… it was real, and he felt it too.

Jamie smiled at her and the look on his face made the butterflies in her stomach multiply, and to her relief, he changed the subject. “So, I think y’said y’had the day off?”

“Yes,” Satya replied, relieved that he’d changed the topic from whatever it was between them, to something far easier to handle. “I always try to get the day off for the cricket.”

“Can’t fault ya f’that one,” Jamie looked inquisitive. “Where d’ya work, if that ain’t a rude question? Y’know my day job, after all.”

“True,” she allowed. “I’m an architech, as I said before the match.” She rather enjoyed the embarrassment that flashed over his face as he remembered his failed flex over the VIP seating. “I work at Vishkar.”

“Oh yeah?” Jamie grinned, eyes darting anywhere but to her face for a moment. “Can’t say I’ve had much t’do with ‘em. So uh, architech. What’s that mean, exactly?”

What followed was a happy fifteen minutes as Satya, who was as in love with her job as it was physically possible to be, described her position and all the wonderful things she could do with her prosthetic. Jamie, whose own prosthetic was simply artificial fingers, looked incredibly interested.

“Can I see?” he asked, and Satya hesitated for a moment before she placed her hand in his, letting him examine the mechanical limb with what looked like professional interest. 

“Yours is right swish,” he murmured, engrossed in seeing how the joints of her metal fingers bent, flexing his own for comparison. Looking up, Jamie gave her a grin. “Reckon y’didn’t build yours in the garage.”

“That I most certainly did not,” she replied archly, before fully comprehending his words. “Wait. Are you saying that you built your own prosthetic in your  _ garage?” _

Jamie’s grin widened. “Sure did! Love buildin’ things. Got a proper fancy prosthetic, actually, but I uh, prefer homemade. Feels more like my own, y’know?”

Satya stared at him for a long moment. “Have you studied mechanical engineering?” she asked, and he shook his head with a grin. “Mechanics?” she asked next, and then, with another denial, began listing through all the viable options. “Robotics? Cybernetics? Biomedical engineering? Mechatronics? Bionanotechnology?” For every option she got a wider grin and a shake of his head, and finally Satya stopped and stared at him, then narrowed her eyes and took hold of his prosthetic, dragging him forward a little as she examined the components of the metal arm. It was skillfully done, clearly, but obviously homemade, which made it all the more impressive. The prosthesis was painted in Australian colours, green and gold, and Satya spent a few moments musing over his fingers as she bent them back and forth, examining the large nuts visible on the outside casing of each digit, and finally glanced up to find him watching her with a rather inscrutable expression.

“I give up,” Satya said at last, and raised her brows at him. “If you haven’t studied any of those things, how did you build a working prosthesis?” A moment’s thought and she corrected herself. “Or, a prosthesis of this kind of quality, I should say. Any idiot could build a metal hand, but this  _ moves. _ How on earth have you managed this?”

Jamie’s grin widened and he turned his prosthetic hand over, lying it palm up on the table, and the urge to keep playing with his fingers was almost too strong to resist. 

“I am self-taught,” he said, a fierce note of pride in his voice. “Wasn’t able t’go t’uni when I was younger, y’know? Didn’t have the right opportunities, but I’m so fuckin’ interested in this shit it’s not funny. Then, cricket came along and I got fair into it.” His voice turned speculative then. “Y’know… when the crickets over an’ I’ve retired, I’d like t’go an’ study… somethin’. Maybe mechanical engineerin’, like y’said.”

Satya goggled at him for the duration of this extraordinary explanation. “Self-taught?” she repeated, bemused. Glancing down at his hand again, she reached out and started to move his metal fingers once again. “You built this yourself, with no formal education or training, and it works well enough that you can use it not only in everyday life, but even while playing cricket professionally?”

Jamie nodded, his grin a little sheepish, but still proud of himself. “Yeah.”

“Jamie, that’s - that’s  _ incredible,” _ Satya said, eyes on where she was examining how if she pulled his pinkie down towards his palm, his ring finger followed - mimicking the movements of flesh and blood fingers. “How long did it take you?”

A pink flush crept over his ears and he looked terribly pleased at her praise. “A while,” he admitted. “A pretty fuckin’ long time, actually. It was uh, after the accident-” he made a gesture with his other hand, encompassing his arm, missing to above the elbow, “-an’ I was able t’get Medicare an’ shit, so I did get a fancy techy prosthetic right out the gate, but it didn’t feel like me, y’know?”

“I know,” Satya said quietly. “Did you base the design on anything in particular?” Then, seeing how he hesitated a bit, she rushed to apologise. “I’m sorry, I’m asking too many questions. I’m just so curious, and I’m terribly impressed that you could  _ do _ something like this.”

His flush deepened at her praise. “Yeah? Well, I don’t mind much, it’s just uh, some people get pretty rude about it.”

“Rude?”

“Yeah. Can’t see why I’d make somethin’ myself instead of usin’ a fancy arm made by  _ professionals.” _ A note of bitterness had crept into his voice, and Satya tried to give him a reassuring smile.

“Jamie - this  _ is _ professional. It’s homemade, but the quality is there.” She smiled at him enthusiastically. “If you ever want contacts, I know quite a few people in the cybernetics industry who would be delighted to have such a natural talent. Vishkar would, too,” she added diffidently, and his grin widened.

Jamie leant forward, and as she was too, pouring over his mechanical hand, Satya found herself very abruptly mere inches from his face, and her gaze dropped to his mouth before she could stop herself. That clever mouth curled into a grin and she jerked her gaze away, embarrassed.

“You tryna get me a job?” he asked, and Satya fought to regain her composure.

“Maybe I am,” she breathed. “How can I let a talent like this go to waste?”

He lifted his hand to her face and brushed her hair back, tucking it gently behind her ear, and Satya found it quite hard to breathe. 

“How d’ya know it’s goin’ to waste?” he asked, and she tried to think, and the way his fingerprints lingered along her jaw made her feel as though she were scorched to the bone.

“I - suppose it’s not,” she managed. “I just meant, if you were serious about doing something like that after cricket, I’d be happy to help.”

“Well, that’s real kind of you, darl,” he said with a grin, and her stomach clenched at the pet name. “I’ll keep it in mind, hit you up for a job in a few years.”

Gods, she was so attracted to this man she had butterflies erupting in her stomach. How on earth did he do it? Satya murmured something in reply, barely knowing what she’d said, and eased backwards to escape. She couldn’t work it out - it was like being hit with a thunderbolt of attraction, one that had hit on both sides, if Jamie’s behaviour was any indication. The thought crossed her mind that he was just looking for a quick lay, but she hoped not. It didn’t seem that way, at least not so far.

At that moment, Noor brought their food and drinks, placing Satya’s order in front of her with a wink that clearly meant she would be demanding details later.

“Thank you, Noor,” Satya said, clearing her throat slightly as Noor glanced interestedly at Jamie, and with a grin and a murmured ‘get him!’, she departed, leaving Satya to be overly interested in her drink in an effort to hide her embarrassment.

Jamie seemed relaxed as he examined his gulab jamun with interest and then thoroughly enjoyed the lassi, and made easy conversation with her. So easy, in fact, that Satya found herself relaxing quite unconsciously, and was really enjoying herself.

“So,” Jamie began, pausing for a moment to lick his sticky fingers, “you got any plans for tonight?”

Satya’s gaze flickered to his and she paused midway through taking a sip of her drink. Was he asking what she thought he might be asking? “Plans? Not especially. I was going to go home and watch something.”

“Oh yeah? Anythin’ in particular?”

She half-smiled. “The latest episode of  _ Mahaan Raaja Kee Patnee _ .” This wasn’t a lie - Satya liked to decompress in the evenings with an exquisitely detailed period drama, and she was currently well into the third season of  _ The Wife of the Great King, _ a Hindi drama which showed the incredible world of the Gupta Empire - and Satya’s secret pleasure was the intricately detailed shots of the palaces and buildings, for she was never above a little architectural inspiration from history.

“Yeah? Uh - what is that?”

Satya smiled. _“Mahaan Raaja Kee Patnee_ \- The wife of the Great King. It’s a period drama about the life of _Maharajadhiraja_ _Chandragupta’s_ wife, the Princess _Kumaradevi._ It’s my current favourite.”

“Oh.” Jamie looked contemplative. “Sounds like fun. Would you… would y’be open t’doin’ somethin’ a little different?” he asked, and the way his fingers tapped rapidly on the tabletop betrayed his nerves.

Satya decided she needed clarification, and so boldly raised a brow. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Jamie grinned slowly at her. “Yeah. Yeah, I am. You wanna come out with me?”

Satya nodded just as slowly, a rush of excitement curling through her body at the thought. “Where to?” she asked, to distract herself.

Jamie ran his finger around the rim of his glass, evidently thinking. “Come dancin’ with me,” he said finally, leaning towards her. “We can get drinks, an’ -” he smirked. “Y’can let your hair down.”

Satya smiled to herself, thinking. Dancing was not necessarily her first choice for a fun night out, but… the idea of dancing with him, up close and personal, was quite… appealing. “All right,” she agreed. “I’d like that.”

His grin was delighted and excited. “Great! Hang on, lemme find somewhere-” he spent a few minutes googling, and then showed her a nightclub on his phone. Satya hadn’t heard of it, but she agreed to the location and smiled to herself when his face positively lit up.

They left Noor’s about an hour later, with Satya pointedly avoiding Noor’s gaze, in order to avoid her knowing look. When they were about to get into the lift, Jamie’s hand settled lightly in the small of her back, and dropped away when they had both stepped inside so he could press the button for the ground floor, and the light pressure made her smile.

“So, I’ll swing by an’ pick y’up around nine, yeah?” he was saying, and she nodded.

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Yeah? I hope so.” Jamie grinned and then sighed in mock exasperation as the doors began to open before their stop, letting other people on. Satya moved a little closer to his side to make room, and his fingers brushed over her hip, so softly she wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t imagined it. Jamie was very touchy - evidently, he was a very tactile person, and she didn’t mind it, to her surprise. Normally, she was really quite adverse to having her personal space invaded, but perhaps it was down to the attraction between them - she liked him, so much that it shocked her, and to have him touch her and otherwise indicate his own attraction to her, made her heart race.

Jamie opened the car door for her once they reached the street in another one of his very gentlemanly moves, and Satya got in and immediately examined her lipstick, and was annoyed to find that parts had worn away while she was eating, and so she hurried to apply more before he got back in.

“Oi,” Jamie said accusatory, as he got into the driver's seat. “Y’doin’ it again. Didn’t I say it’s illegal?”

Satya opted not to reply, instead turning to face him as she applied one last slow swipe of gloss over her lips, then pressed them together in a slow kissing motion as she let her gaze fall to his mouth.

The noise he made was one of frustration and Satya smiled at her success, before she settled back down in her seat and Jamie started the car.

The atmosphere was electric, and Satya didn’t know if she wanted him to grab her and pull her into a kiss, or if she wanted to climb into his lap and take matters into her own hands. All she knew was that if the car hadn’t been moving, she might have done. 

It was interesting, the feelings he was producing in her, and she liked the idea of exploring it more, and it was for that reason that she found herself touching his arm when he walked her to her door and then departed, to return at nine and take her dancing.

Satya immediately went to her bathroom, abandoning her things on the kitchen counter in a mad rush to her vanity, where she immediately set about washing her face. Once her makeup was gone Satya headed to her wardrobe, where she poured over her clothes until she had narrowed the selection down to three dresses. One was midi length in blush pink, but was low cut and clung to every curve. The next was a deep green velvet that Satya was obsessed with on a tactile level - it let her subtly stim when she was out for the night, and thoroughly enjoyed that fact. The last was a plunging wine red mini dress, a strappy sequin design that had an open back. After a great deal of back and forth and consulting with both Noor (who was wildly ecstatic about the date and was texting with a great deal of exclamation marks) and her shoe cupboard, Satya settled on the red sequined mini, which she teamed with her classic black Louboutins, a black clutch, and a hastily but carefully applied coat of red nail varnish.

With her nails done and her outfit settled on, Satya rushed into the bathroom with two hours to go, and put her hair into hot rollers and started organising her makeup. What she had worn to the cricket was utterly unacceptable for evening wear, for it had been simple - concealer, brows, lashes, lips. Now, Satya went for the full face, contouring her cheekbones and applying fake lashes to her heavily lined smokey eye. The finishing touch was the lips - Jamie liked her lipstick, she knew that much, and a deep, vibrant red lip ought to make him suffer.

With her setting spray done her makeup was complete, and Satya moved on to her hair, taking out the hot rollers and brushing the dark strands into shiny, bouncy waves, and with her fringe arranged just so (with the help of a little hairspray), she was ready. Well, nearly. Satya got dressed, with her sexiest lingerie on (just in case), but no bra. The band would show through her backless dress, but she was willing to risk appearing risqué tonight. She then followed up her dress with plenty of gold bangles, dangly earrings, and a necklace that matched her tikka, and was nearly done. 

She put her shoes and clutch near the door and, with her phone fully charged, her lipstick and breath mints packed, she was ready to go. She sat on the couch for about fifteen minutes, and then, when her doorbell chimed, she leapt up like she’d been electrocuted and hurried to put her heels on as she checked her reflection in the mirror above her hallstand, and then she opened the door. 

It felt as though she’d let out a breath she’d been holding for too long - her nerves melted away when she met Jamie’s gaze, and then his eyes widened and his jaw dropped, before his lips curled into a grin.

“Wow! Y’look fuckin’ incredible,” he said as his greeting, and the look in his eyes made her feel desirable and quite powerful, and Satya thoroughly enjoyed it. Jamie then drew his hand from behind his back, revealing a small bouquet of white flowers, bright against the green foliage. Satya gasped in delight and his grin widened.

“Got you a little somethin’. Hope you like ‘em.”

“Oh, they’re beautiful.” Satya took the bouquet and sniffed them for a moment, and then turned back inside. “Come in, I’ll make a vase.”

Jamie followed her inside and leaned on the counter, looking first curious and then fascinated when Satya wove the blue wireframe of a small vase and then drew it from the air, looking just like real crystal. She filled it with water and arranged the flowers, and then after some thought, settled it on the chest of drawers where she kept her handbags, next to her statuette of Ganesha. 

“Is that elephant wearin’ clothes? Nice.” Jamie grinned at the statuette, coming up beside her. 

“It’s  _ Shree Ganesha,” _ Satya replied, amused. “He’s a God.”

“Oh,” Jamie said, and then his eyes widened in horrified realisation.  _ “Oh. _ You mean - you? Oh. Shit. Sorry.”

Satya smiled. “If by that you’re trying to ask whether or not I am Hindu, I am.” She motioned to the three paintings of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva which hung on the wall in a representation of the Trimūrti. “They aren’t just for decoration.”

“Yeah, of course,” Jamie agreed hastily. “Sorry. Didn’t click for a minute what it meant.”

“It’s alright,” Satya soothed. “Now, did you want a drink or anything before we go?”

“Nah, I’m fine for the moment, darl. I was gonna suggest we get drinks when we get there.”

“That sounds good to me,” Satya agreed, and so they prepared to leave. Satya picked up her clutch and checked her makeup and then locked the door, and then they headed to the lifts and went outside. 

“Did you drive?” Satya asked, looking around for his Ferrari, but she couldn’t see it anywhere.

“Oh, I got a taxi,” he said easily, before his brows knitted. “Y’don’t mind, do ya? Only I figured if we’re gonna be gettin’ drinks-”

“A taxi is fine,” Satya assured him, and it was. It allowed her to sit close beside him in the backseat, and while they were weaving through traffic, Jamie took her hand and played with her fingers while they talked, making her feel very cosy.

The club they arrived at was very popular and very full, making her feel a bit uncomfortable as people crowded her at all times. Jamie noticed, and managed to steer them through to the bar, which at this particular establishment, was separated from the dancefloor and therefore a little quieter.

“Y’wanna guard the table?” Jamie asked. “I’ll go order the drinks. What would y’like?”

“Oh, I’ll have a  _ banarasi paan  _ mojito,” Satya said, naming her favourite drink, to which Jamie’s brow furrowed.

“Uh. Y’wanna say that again? But uh, slowly?”

Satya smiled.  _ “Banarasi paan _ mojito,” she said slowly, enunciating carefully.

“Er… how ‘bout a round of shots first?” he asked hopefully, and Satya laughed. 

“All right, I’ll have a shot of  _ Imli _ tequila,” Satya said with a grin, purposefully giving him another Desi drink.

“Tequila?” Jamie let out a low whistle, looking impressed. “Goin’ straight t’the big guns, huh?”

“Yes, but only one,” Satya said with a smile. “After that, I’ll just have cocktails.”

“Fair. Righto, gimme a tic.” Jamie disappeared then, weaving through the tables and the other bar patrons, and came back a few minutes later carefully carrying two shot glasses. He placed them on the table between them and then sat, before he lifted his shot in a toast.

“What did you get?” Satya asked curiously, picking up her shot and sniffing the contents, and the familiar scents of tequila, tamarind and ginger ale filled her nose.

“Brain hemorrhage,” Jamie said easily. “I  _ love _ these fuckers.”

“Oh?” Satya eyed the layered shot with some curiosity - she hadn’t tried a brain hemorrhage before, and it somehow looked nasty and appealing at the same time. “To each their own.”

Jamie grinned and lifted his shot, and they clinked the glasses together for a moment before they each downed their shots. Satya put her glass down with a tiny gasp as the familiar burn of alcohol hit, and then they grinned at each other over the table. To hear better, Jamie shifted his chair so he was seated right beside her, and explained that he was a little deaf from an accident in his youth.

“Just a little bit,” he explained. “In m’right ear, mostly. It’s not too bad most of the time, just need t’sort of, ask people to repeat ‘emselves on occasion an’ it’s all good.”

“You don’t wear hearing aids?” Satya asked curiously, to which she got a grimace.

“Nah, too small. Fiddly little things, aren’t they? I’d lose ‘em.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

They continued to talk, learning things about one another, for about half an hour, during which time they both had two rounds of cocktails, as well as another round of shots. Satya excused herself then, to go to the toilets, and took the opportunity to freshen up her make-up, just a little. When she got back, she found Jamie on his feet, foot tapping in time to the music pumping through the venue.

“Would y’like t’dance?” he asked when he saw her, dipping down to mouth the words at her ear, making her shiver.

“Yes, please,” she replied, and he took her hand and led her through to the dancefloor.

Oh, she  _ liked _ dancing with Jamie. The music was very loud and she didn’t particularly enjoy that aspect, but then one of her favourite songs came on and Satya let loose - which the alcohol probably had quite a hand in, she had to admit, but she was having an excellent time, dancing close and then back a little, teasing. She liked the look on his face when she got close enough to touch, and then everything changed when he captured her waist, drawing her in close. Satya looked up at him with a soft, excited smile as her hands landed on his chest, and Jamie gave her a suave grin as his arms tightened around her waist. 

They danced like this for quite a while, until Satya was hot all over from the contact, tipsy from the alcohol and wanting nothing more than to have his hands roam over her body. However, as much as she liked dancing with him, the music was too loud, and so she pulled him towards the balcony, seeking some quieter, less intrusive noise. To his credit, Jamie didn’t question her beyond his initial confusion as to why she wanted to leave, and when she told him, he took her hand and made his way through the crowds of people on the dancefloor, making a path for her.

Once out on the balcony, Satya felt like she could let out her breath, and took a few calming breaths of air with her eyes shut, and when she opened them she found him looking at her with concern on his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. “Y’not feelin’ crook or anythin’?”

“No, I’m not sick,” Satya replied, and bit her lip. She decided not to tell him that she was autistic just yet, not when she didn’t know how far this was going. “I - I just have some issues with sensory overload, sometimes. The music just got a little loud.”

“Ah. Y’wanna chill out here for a bit then?”

“Yes, please.”

Satya could still hear the music but it was no longer throbbing through her brain in that overly unpleasant way, and she took a few calming breaths, feeling the relief of escaping an uncomfortable situation, and Jamie took her hand in his, playing with her fingers absently. 

“Would y’like another drink?” he asked, and Satya considered for a moment. She was delightfully tipsy, but enough time had passed to make her think it would be fine to have another drink, though maybe just the one.

“Yes, please,” she replied, furrowing her brow as she decided what she wanted. Satya then sat at one of the tall outdoor stools and waited. It didn’t take long for Jamie to come back, and he handed her her drink with a grin.

“Cheers, love,” he said as he clinked his glass against hers with a wink, and Satya smiled into her glass as she sipped. They talk as they drank, and Satya took the initiative and stole his hand, playing with his fingers as an insatiable urge to touch him stole over her.

“Y’wanna dance again?” Jamie asked eventually, placing his empty glass on the bench nearby, and Satya nodded, draining the last sip of her own drink. Hand in hand, they headed towards the door that would take them back inside the club, but then Jamie paused, turning to look at her. 

“What is it?” Satya asked somewhat worriedly, thinking that her hair must be mussed or her makeup had smudged - but then Jamie lifted his hand to her cheek, tracing down along her jaw and then down the column of her throat. Heat sparked within her and her lips parted slowly, and she could see the way he swallowed hard as his gaze focused on her mouth, before he lifted his hand and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. 

“You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous, babe,” he murmured. “Can’t get over it. You’re a goddamn knockout.”

Pleasure curled within her and Satya took a step forward, until her chest nearly brushed his, and let her hands settle on his biceps. “Keep talking,” she murmured. “Flattery will get you anywhere.”

His mouth curled into a grin and then he was leaning forward and Satya didn’t know if it was the bone-deep attraction to him or the tipsy fug of alcohol that had her leaning in to meet him but then his lips met hers and the kiss was -  _ perfect, _ breathtaking, intoxicating - Satya didn’t know which descriptor was best but then Jamie angled his head, his metal hand on her lower back guiding her closer and she wasn’t thinking of anything other than kissing him for as long as she could.

Jamie walked her gently backwards until her back pressed against the nearby wall, the brick rough against the bare skin of her back. His tongue swept along the seam of her lips and Satya opened for him with a sigh, her hands looping around his neck as his fingers played over her waist. His knee pressed insistently between her thighs, causing her dress to ride up, but Satya couldn’t quite care about propriety when he began to move, grinding his thigh against her core and stoking the flames in her belly. 

In the next moment, someone cleared their throat and spoke, from quite close by. Distracted, Satya wasn’t able to pick up what had been said but she did register that they were being spoken to, and pulled back in shock. Jamie made a low, displeased noise in his throat and turned to face the intruder with his brows pulled into a deep scowl, keeping her body shielded with his. After a few moments Satya recognised the man as the bouncer who had been at the door of the club and abruptly mortification seized hold of her innards and she cringed, hiding her face in Jamie’s chest.

“You guys have to move on now,” the bouncer said slowly, keeping his voice slow in the obvious belief that they were drunk; Satya bit her lower lip, and if she’d died of her embarrassment right then and there she wouldn’t have minded.

“Oi, hang on a tic-” Jamie began, his tone indignant, and it sent horror spiraling through her. Satya grabbed his arm in a stranglehold, and when he paused mid-sentence to look at her, brows knitted, she shook her head in the universal sign for ‘leave it’.

Jamie looked somewhat unimpressed, but straightened up a little, untensing his posture. “Yeah, alright, mate,” he said to the bouncer. “We’ll get goin’.”

The bouncer nodded and left, and Satya fixed the hem of her dress in mortified silence, her cheeks burning hot.

Jamie put his arm around her waist, his flesh fingers smoothing over her jaw. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Satya said a little snappishly, rattled by the encounter. “Let’s go.”

Jamie looked disappointed. “Home, y’mean? That fucker, ruinin’ things. I-”

“I didn’t mean home, necessarily,” Satya interjected, and started walking towards the door, intending to escape the club all together. “I would simply prefer to go somewhere else.”

“Oh yeah? That’s good.” Jamie’s mouth opened and closed a few times, like he wanted to say something else, but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it, and so ultimately said nothing. He kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked, and Satya rather liked it. She found the way he seemed to like constant contact more and more enjoyable as the night went on, and pressed a little closer to his side to show that she liked it. In response, Jamie moved his arm further around her and stroked his thumb over her hip bone, making her bite her lip.

They reached the outside and stood on the street, and Satya glanced up at him to find Jamie wearing a contemplative expression.

“So, another club?” he asked. “Or a bar or a pub or somethin’?”

Satya pursed her lips. “I would prefer somewhere a little quieter,” she said, and when Jamie went quiet, his eyes intense, a bolt of heat flashed through her form.  _ Oh. _ She hadn’t quite meant it like that, but she wasn’t objecting.

“Yeah? Shit, okay.” He looked somewhat wildly about, as though trying to conjure up an idea, and Satya was thinking just as hard about somewhere for them to go. “Oh! How ‘bout the stadium?” Jamie burst out excitedly, and Satya stared at him in puzzlement.

“The stadium? Why? And how? It’s closed.”

“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that. I’ll just tell the night blokes I forgot somethin’ important in the lockers. They’ll let me in. But didn’t y’tell me you were the one who built it?” he waggled his brows invitingly. “I wouldn’t say no to a guided tour.”

Excitement lit a fire in her belly. “A tour?” Satya couldn’t help her smile, and seeing her thus encouraged, his own grew substantially.

“Yeah! Y’can tell me about all the nitty gritty architectural stuff, ‘cause that’s your jam, isn’t it? C’mon, just picture it. Just the two of us, goin’ wherever we want.”

Satya’s smile widened. “I would love that,” she admitted, and his expression was a mixture of excitement and relief. 

“Yeah? I’m real glad about that,” he murmured, moving closer. “Don’t wanna say goodnight t’ya just yet.”

“I don’t either,” Satya breathed, and his fingers came up to cup her jaw, and if a nearby group of people hadn’t been talking loudly, she was quite sure he would have kissed her. They then walked the short distance up the street to a nearby taxi rank and, after waiting for a few minutes, climbed into the backseat, where Satya had to fix her dress, which had ridden dangerously far up her thighs. While preoccupied with pulling the fabric down, she noticed his gaze, intent on her legs. Satya smiled to herself and finished fixing her dress, and then leaned in close.

“Are you sure they’ll let us in?” she murmured, and Jamie blinked before he nodded.

“Uh, yeah. Think so. I’ll make ‘em.”

The streets were busy despite the late hour, but the stadium car park was mostly empty, with just a few cars left over. The taxi pulled up directly outside the gates, and Satya got out while Jamie paid the driver, and then the car left and they were met at the gates by a security guard, wearing a moustache and a suspicious expression.

“G’day, mate,” Jamie said breezily, then remembered the possibility that the guard may not speak English, and hesitated. Luckily for him, the guard responded in the same language.

“Mr Fawkes? What are you doing here?” the guard’s eyes flickered to hers, and Satya smiled in greeting. “And-” the guard blinked. “Are you-? You’re not Satya Vaswani?”

_ Ah _ . Recognition. To be perfectly honest, she’d expected that someone would recognise both of them together, but she’d hoped that they wouldn’t.

“Yes, I am,” she replied, trying to suppress a grimace. She watched the guard’s gaze flit from her to Jamie and back again, evidently coming to several conclusions, and grimaced anyway.

“Look, mate,” Jamie interjected, as the guard began to open his mouth. “I left m’wallet behind, in the lockers. Y’can’t let us in for a minute while I grab it?”

The guard frowned. “Sir, you just paid for the taxi.”

Satya cringed but Jamie smoothly glossed it over, without a hint of hesitation.

“That was cash,” he said easily. “My last lot, too. Figured I could use it just t’get back here.” His expression turned imploring. “C’mon, mate. I’m in another country without m’wallet. I’m pretty fucked right now.”

The guard deliberated for a few moments, then nodded his head. “Alright, sir, you can go in. Do you know where to go?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jamie nodded, and then grinned. “‘Sides, if I get lost, I’ve got a handy guide right here.”

Satya barely repressed rolling her eyes, but the guard nodded.

“Don’t take too long,” he warned, “and be sure to come back through here when you leave, sir and ma’am. The hall lights are on for security purposes but all other lights will be off.”

They left the guard having thanked him profusely, and then Jamie tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they headed down the dimly lit corridors, and Satya thought back over the kiss. It hadn’t been bad; in fact, it had been startlingly, breathtakingly good. There was chemistry between them and it burned low in the pit of her stomach and made her want to kiss him again, but… was that a good idea? She honestly wasn’t sure if things were moving much too fast. She’d only met him today… perhaps once they’d finished trawling around the stadium, she should head home… to her empty bed. 

No, absolutely not. She wasn't considering sleeping with him. She’d only just met him! That was absurd, and Satya wasn’t going to give the subject another thought. Except… she snuck a peak at him as they walked, and she could feel the heat of his body on hers. Satya was still turned on from the kiss at the nightclub, so much so that she was shocked at her response to him. Her attraction to this man… it had come from out of nowhere, and she wasn’t sure how to proceed. 

“So, y’built all this, huh?” Jamie asked, looking up at the ceilings, which she’d designed to have curved arches dotted periodically along, built in an unobtrusive modern style and filled with skylights that in the daytime, flooded the hallway with light and mimicked the sensation of being inside an aquarium tunnel - Satya was somewhat obsessed with that feeling of closeness yet being surrounded by glass, and unconsciously replicated it quite a lot in her designs. The effect was not as obvious at night, and she felt herself wishing she had been able to come down here during the daytime.

“I didn’t build it, actually.” At his confused expression, she smiled and clarified. “I designed it. I drew up the plans, but I wasn’t involved in the actual construction. My colleagues did that. I had to go to Prague for another project.”

“Prague, huh? Some sorta high flyin’, jetsettin’ babe, yeah? Yeah.” There was a considerable amount of appreciation in his tone, and he grinned down at her, before holding open the door of the players lounge, which they had just reached.

Satya stepped inside and turned to face Jamie as he let the door slide shut between them. “So,” she asked coyly. “Where did you leave your wallet?”

Jamie’s grin was slow and sure, and it made butterflies erupt in her stomach. 

“Somewhere around here, I reckon,” he said carelessly, advancing on her in a way that made heat run through her veins. “You are so gorgeous,” he murmured, and Satya’s lips parted as he smoothed his fingers along her arm.

Jamie reached for her hand and Satya twined her fingers with his almost instinctively; they locked eyes for a heavy moment and then he lifted his metal hand and smoothed a lock of hair back behind her ear.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly. “It’s all I can think about right now.”

Her mouth was dry and she couldn’t seem to breathe but Satya nodded, and Jamie’s smile, genuine and so pleased, made her feel weak in the knees as he stepped in close, gathered her to him, and kissed her.

Satya all but melted into him; his body was warm and strong and deliciously firm under her touch, and he was kissing her hungrily. His tongue swept along her lower lip and Satya parted on a gasp, allowing him access. His good hand was tight at her back, fingers smoothing over her bare skin, and Satya gave up on her self control and pushed closer, looping her arms around his neck. Jamie mumbled a curse against her mouth and sank his fingers into her hair, pulling her closer, and Satya felt close to combusting. His hand left her back and smoothed up her thigh, stopping just as his fingers dipped beneath the hem of her dress, and then when he pulled her leg up around his waist, she moaned into his mouth.

Jamie let out a breathless curse and pulled back slightly, his expression hungry as he rocked against her, the hard bulge in his pants causing the most delicious friction. Satya gasped when the pressure through her thin underwear sent sparks of electricity arcing through her, and Jamie grinned and kissed her quickly, hungrily, as though he couldn’t resist. 

“God, I want you,” he growled. “Say yes, please say yes-”

“Yes-” Satya cut him off with another kiss and tugged at his shirt, but then Jamie shifted his weight and caught his prosthetic leg on the rug, and toppled, off balance. Satya grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled, saving him from falling, and Jamie straightened up with a sheepish grin while she laughed.

“Be careful,” Satya admonished playfully, stepping a bit closer, her hands still gripping his shirt.

“I’ll make a concerted effort,” he grinned, his own hands coming up to cover hers. “How ‘bout we sit down for a spell? Might be safer.”

“Okay,” Satya breathed, letting him guide her the few steps across to the nearby sofa, and he sprawled across it, sinking comfortably into the plush seating. Instead of sitting normally, however, Jamie caught her hand before she could and pulled her gently towards him. She was not quite in his lap but as he had leaned forward and kissed her a moment later, it didn’t really matter. Jamie’s hands roamed over her hips as he angled his head and kissed her hungrily, and then, through teasing pressure and burning want, she ended up in his lap anyway, her dress rucked up as she straddled his thighs. 

Jamie took full advantage of this new position as he deepened the kiss, his fingers exploring her newly bared thighs. He used plenty of tongue but Satya didn’t object - she was hot and aching and wanted nothing more than to feel pressure between her thighs, but the memory that they were technically in public slowed her down a bit. In the next moment, Jamie’s hands came up to cover her breasts, teasing and molding and squeezing so expertly that she moaned into his mouth, making him swear in response as he found her nipples and began to tease, tracing circles through the thin fabric of her dress. He watched her face as he did so, clearly hoping to get her to make a noise, so Satya obliged him with some soft moans and sighs of pleasure. 

His expression grew greedy as he slipped the fingers of his flesh hand beneath the thin strap of her dress. “Yeah?” he asked, brows raised. “Wanna see ya so bad…” 

“Then look,” Satya breathed, letting one strap fall down her arm. Jamie’s expression was intent as he pulled the other strap down to match, and Satya slipped her arms out of each one before holding the now loose fabric of her dress to her breasts with a teasing smile, before she let it drop to her waist.

_ “Damn,” _ Jamie stared at her naked breasts with a slightly stunned look, and Satya could see the moment his brain kicked into gear again and he gave her a grin. “You’re the hottest woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh?” Satya gave him a smile and then leaned in to nip at his ear, drawing a sharp intake of breath to his lips. “Prove it.”

That earned her a deep chuckle, and Jamie’s hands lifted to curve over her bare breasts, making her gasp at the contact. His metal hand moved with excruciating gentleness, which she appreciated - she was not in the mood to have her skin pinched painfully by those metal joints - and Satya then turned her attention to Jamie himself, who she could see far less of than she wanted to. She started undoing his buttons as he played with her breasts, teasing and touching and plucking at her nipples in the kind of way that sent heat arcing through her. Satya parted his shirt and ran her hands down the firm muscle of his torso, thoroughly enjoying the sight and feel of him, and then he leaned in and kissed her. 

It was brief - hot and sudden, and all too soon he broke away and kissed his way down from her mouth to her neck, and kept going, trailing open mouthed kisses interspersed with gentle bites down the column of her throat and across her collarbone, until he’d reached her breasts and taken a nipple into his mouth. Satya had risen up onto her knees to make the position less painful for him, and was anxiously sifting her hands through his hair when she heard something.

Satya froze - those were definitely footsteps - and they were growing closer.

She scrambled off his lap as fast as she could. “Get up!” she hissed, groping for the straps of her dress and pulling them back up her arms. “Someone’s coming!”

“Fuck’s sake-” Jamie shot to his feet with a muttered curse, looking more pissed off at the interruption than the risk of naked discovery, but Satya ignored him in favour of slipping into her shoes, which had fallen off at some point in proceedings.

Her cheeks grew hot at the thought - had she  _ really _ just done that? Gone  _ that _ far with a man she’d only just met, in what might as well be a public room?

The door opened then, and thankfully Satya had managed to get her shoes on and her dress fixed, and she was checking her lipstick in her compact as Jamie did up the last of his buttons. Satya glanced away from her mercifully unsmudged mouth - her favourite brand of liquid lipstick was painfully expensive, but it didn’t budge an inch no matter what she did - and into the eyes of the security guard framed in the doorway.

“Eh? What’s this? What are you doing here?” he demanded, hand going to the earpiece that would clearly summon help, and probably the police. Then, he clearly recognised Jamie, and pulled up short, looking confused about whether or not he should be calling someone.

“G’day, mate,” Jamie said breezily, and Satya realised he was holding his wallet. “Just dropped by lookin’ for this. Left it behind an’ I was pretty fucked without it. Bloke at the gate let us in t’look for it.”

The guard eyed the wallet for a moment, and then pressed a hand to his earpiece and spoke in an undertone - from the conversation, in Hindi, it was evident that he was speaking to the guard at the gate for confirmation. When given satisfactory information, he nodded. 

“That’s fine. If you’ve got everything you need, I’ll escort you back to the gate.”

Jamie nodded and Satya did as well, falling into step beside him as they followed the guard; Jamie was making easy conversation with the guard, but Satya was quiet, thinking over her own conduct. She was quite shocked at herself, but she also hadn’t reached any form of completion - her nipples were hard and she wanted his hot, wet mouth back on them, and that ache between her legs persisted maddeningly, and yet as she was walking she couldn’t squirm her thighs together to relieve the ache, adding to her frustration.

They reached the front doors of the stadium, where they found the first guard who had let them in, and with a waggle of his wallet from Jamie to demonstrate that he had ‘found’ it and a quick murmur of thanks, they were outside in the cool night air. It was a welcome change from the heat of the day, and Satya took a deep, welcome breath of fresh air and turned to look up at Jamie, feeling suddenly uncertain.

“So, where to now?” he asked with a grin, and Satya found that she didn’t really want to go anywhere else tonight.

“Well, it’s getting rather late,” she began, and Jamie looked disappointed.

“Right. Well, I’ll take y’home. I’m uh, I’m sorry. Tonight was kinda one fiasco after another, huh?”

Satya smiled. “It wasn’t that bad. I still had a good time.”

“Yeah?” Jamie grinned, looking cheered. “I’m glad.”

Jamie sat on a low wall nearby to ring for a taxi, and Satya, after a moment of deliberation, sat very close beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her body still craved contact and this was as much as she would allow herself to get on this public street. While still talking, Jamie wrapped his free arm around her waist and Satya let her eyes drift closed, feeling secure and comfortable next to him.

In seemingly no time at all, Satya woke to Jamie lightly shaking her shoulder - the taxi had arrived, and she had apparently fallen into a light doze. With an embarrassed smile, she slipped into the backseat after Jamie had opened the door for her, and gave the driver her address. Jamie sat beside her and, in the interest of remaining close, Satya leaned against him again, with his arm slung around her shoulders. 

They didn’t talk much - the presence of the taxi driver dissuaded that - but when they had reached her apartment building, her nerves increased. Would he leave? He’d said that he was going to take her home, but… did he really intend to just say goodnight and leave? After what had happened at the stadium, Satya wasn’t sure if she was willing to accept that.

The taxi drove off and Satya glanced up at Jamie, who was staring up at her apartment building, looking impressed. “You’ve got a fuckin’ sweet joint here,” he said with a low whistle, and Satya laughed as she led the way to the door.

“You’ve already seen it.”

“So? It’s gorgeous. Bet it costs a pretty penny.”

“It’s part of my contract, actually,” Satya said, and Jamie’s brows furrowed as she held her keycard up to the sensor, bypassing the ‘guest’ option that he would have selected when he had arrived to pick her up.

“What? In y’contract that y’gotta live here?”

“No, it’s in my contract that I reserve an apartment for my own private use in a building of my choosing.”

Jamie stared at her. “What kinda wacked out contract is  _ that?” _ he asked finally, and Satya smiled.

“I built this tower, Jamie. It’s my design. Vishkar does that with all their high tier architechs. We’re entitled to live in any apartment free of rent, provided it’s our own design. It makes for some very good incentive.”

“I’ll say.” Jamie looked somewhat astonished at this. “That’s - holy  _ shit, _ that’s a good fuckin’ deal.”

“Isn’t it?” Satya replied, unable to keep all of the smugness out of her voice. “I’ve designed seven residential towers in Utopaea, and this one was a personal favourite, so I live here now.”

“Where’d you live before that?” he asked, as they stepped into the lift.

“Across town, in an apartment complex built by a colleague. The prospect of not paying rent was somewhat attractive to me, as I think you can understand.”

“Sure can,” Jamie agreed.

“And, designing a space of my own made it better,” Satya continued, touching the walls of the lift for a moment as it carried them upwards to her floor. “There’s no part of my apartment that I dislike.”

Jamie gave her a knowing smile. “Oh? Nuthin’ you’d change? Nuthin’ at all?”

She grinned. “Well, there’s always room for improvement, isn’t there? But there’s nothing for me to be annoyed over, because if I am, then I have to resign myself to the fact that I made the choice for it to be like that.”

He snickered at that, and then the doors opened at her floor and they stepped out. “Is there anythin’ you’d change?” he asked curiously, and Satya nodded.

“Yes, there is. I’ve lived here for nearly three years and it’s very good, but if I could go back in time to stop myself angling the windows in my bedroom like I did, I would.”

This was apparently specific enough to amuse Jamie greatly, and Satya smiled to herself at his amusement as she unlocked her door, and paused on the threshold.

“Well… I suppose this is goodnight,” she said somewhat reluctantly, and Jamie’s face sobered at once.

“Yeah… ‘spose so.” He reached out and brushed a strand of her back from her face, and Satya realised she didn’t want to see him go just yet.

“Or not… if you don’t want to,” she said in a rush, and at the bloom of realisation on his face, looked down, embarrassed. “Would you like to come in?”

“Love to.” Jamie’s gaze was intense as Satya stepped back to let him over the threshold, and she locked the door behind them with butterflies rioting in her stomach.

“Did you want something to drink?” she asked, and Jamie nodded. 

“Won’t say no t’some water.”

Satya busied herself with getting two glasses of water for a minute, and when she handed Jamie his glass, he took a sip and grinned at her.

“Cheers, darl.”

The pet name made her bit her lip and Satya took a sip of her own water to hide her emotions.

“So, y’gonna give me a tour?” Jamie asked, looking interestedly about. “Never been in a place with the person who built it before.”

That got her attention.

“Oh, of course!” Satya said excitedly, and motioned to her left, launching straight into it. “My kitchen, obviously. See the window? It’s angled perfectly so when the morning sun hits this mirror-” she pointed at the opposite wall, where a huge swathe of polished bronze hung there. “-and reflects light throughout my entire living area.”

Pride burned within her when Jamie looked intensely impressed. “Y’came up with that? Far out, that’s tricky.” He went over to inspect the bronze, and turned to face with with a curious look. “How’d y’figure out y’could do this? Were y’always plannin’ on movin’ in here? Or was any tenant supposed t’be able t’do somethin’ like this?”

“Oh, I planned it for myself,” Satya assured him, coming to stand at the bronze herself. “I told Vishkar I wanted to move as my lease was up, and it happened to coincide with the planned development of this tower, so I was made principal architech.”

Jamie let out a low whistle as she led him towards her bedroom. Her apartment considered of her living space, her bedroom, her study, bathroom and laundry - she didn’t feel the need for more space, and she’d designed her open plan living and kitchen area to be spacious and not at all cramped. Her bedroom opened up onto a wide balcony where she liked to take a steaming pot of chai, and her bathroom held her biggest luxury - a whirlpool bathtub big enough to hold two people. 

After the tour wrapped up, Satya found herself gazing at him; Jamie was standing perhaps a foot away, sipping his water in an abstracted sort of fashion as he gazed back. The arousal had never gone away - it simmered slowly in the pit of her stomach, helped along by the expression in Jamie’s eyes - he clearly felt the same way, and Satya abruptly decided that she wasn’t going to deny herself this pleasure. She moved closer and reached out to play with his shirt buttons. Jamie took the invitation for what it was and trailed his hand up her arm, and then they locked eyes with perfect mutual understanding. Jamie took her glass from her hand and put both of them on the nearby end table, reached out and kissed her.

Satya kissed him back eagerly, twining her hands around his neck as her simmering arousal, present but muted since the stadium, burst into flames. Jamie began walking her backwards, towards her bed, but Satya still had some functional brain cells remaining and so she disengaged briefly to smile against his mouth at his disappointed noise. 

“Wait a moment,” she said softly, catching her breath. “I need to take off my makeup first.”

“Now?”

“Yes,” Satya said firmly. “If I end up in bed first, then it won’t get done at all.”

“An’ that’d be a bad thing why?” Jamie murmured, his attention clearly on his hands, molding and squeezing her backside in a very distracting manner.

“Sleeping in makeup is bad for the skin,” Satya said, but inwardly she was thinking of how annoying it was to wake up in the morning and have her partner faced with patchy, smeared foundation, ruined lipstick, and panda eyes. It ruined her skin and her sheets, and she absolutely refused to do it, and always had. She tended to use it almost as a vetting process - if anyone was immature enough to recoil at her bare face before sleeping with them (and some had) then she knew it was a relationship that was going nowhere fast. Satya fervently hoped that Jamie would pass this test.

She headed to her bathroom, and Jamie laced his fingers through hers and followed, saving her from the awkwardness of debating whether or not to close the door on him. He stood directly behind her, the hardness in his pants pressed firmly against her ass, watching curiously in the mirror as she began her oil cleanse.

Her eye makeup covered her face in oily black streaks and Jamie helped tuck her hair behind her ears, safely out of the way. “What is that stuff?” he asked curiously.

“Sunflower seed oil,” Satya replied, engaged in carefully wiping away the oil with a soft flannel washcloth. “It’s oil cleanser.”

“How’s that a cleanser? You’re all grotty an’ oily now.”

Satya smiled at the befuddlement in his tone and lowered the now filthy cloth from her makeup free face, and got an impressed whistle in response.

“Crikey, I thought it’d need more scrubbin’ than that.” He touched her cheek lightly, and frowned at his fingertip. “Y’just gonna stay all greasy?”

“I am not,” Satya retorted, upending her gel cleanser in her palm. “I double cleanse.” She wrapped up the rest of her skincare fairly quickly, applying some hydrating essences after cleansing, and then as she was patting the last little bit into her skin, Jamie buried his nose in her hair, his hands roaming over her body in her thin dress. He molded his fingers over her breasts as he dipped down, mouthing along the column of her neck, and with no more skincare to distract her, Satya let herself melt against him, pressing her ass firmly against the straining hardness she could feel behind her.

“Thought you’d be wearin’ a bra under this,” Jamie murmured, as he helped her slip her arms through the straps of her dress. “Nice little surprise for me, huh.” 

Satya grinned as she let the fabric fall to her waist, enjoying the sight of Jamie’s hands on her naked breasts in the mirror. “Didn’t you see my dress? It’s backless.”

“I saw it,” he whispered in her ear, nipping at the lobe with his teeth and making her shiver. “It’s the only fuckin’ thing I could see for a while there.”

“Oh? Is that all?” Satya turned in the circle of his arms, enjoying his intake of breath when her naked breasts brushed against his chest. “You’re wearing too much,” she admonished, and began to undo his buttons.

“Sure am,” he agreed, and helped her with the rest of them. His shirt hit the floor and Satya traced her fingers down the defined muscle of his torso and lingered teasingly at his waistband. Jamie leaned in to kiss her again and so Satya took her opportunity to slowly undo the button and lower the zipper, and when his trousers, too loose to remain around his hips, had fallen to mid-thigh, she lifted her hands and left him alone, to which she got a frustrated groan.

Satisfied with his reaction, Satya deepened the kiss and then teasingly let her fingers skate along his hipbone, before brushing softly over the silky fabric of his boxers, feeling the length of him under her hand. Jamie let out a shivering groan and angled his hips forward, craving more contact. Satya smoothed her fingers over the tip of him, taut against his boxers, and smiled as she kissed him.

“Fuckin’ tease,” Jamie growled against her mouth, kissing her roughly for a moment, before he dipped down and kissed her neck, using his teeth until she moaned and then sucking hard, the pressure of his lips was sure to leave a mark, and Satya found she craved it - she wanted proof of his touching her. His hands were on her breasts, teasing and touching and then he gripped her thighs and lifted her. Satya let out a squeak, her hands grabbing at his shoulders to keep her balance, but then Jamie settled her on the bathroom counter with a hungry expression on his face as he parted her thighs and stepped in between, his hands smoothing over her hips to the bunched up dress at her waist. Jamie paused there, his expression expectant.

“Yeah?” he asked, and Satya nodded breathlessly, both pleased and turned on that he’d asked.

“Good.” His tone was so matter-of-fact that Satya had to refrain from squeezing her thighs together at the intense rush of heat that swept through her, and she bit her lower lip and lifted her weight onto her hands, arching her hips as Jamie began to slowly pull down her dress, smoothing his hands down her legs slowly as he did so, and then, with the dress on the floor and Satya in nothing but a lacy pair of black underwear, he placed his hands on her bare thighs and gave her a grin.

“Whaddaya say, babe?” he asked, fingers smoothing distractingly slow over her skin. “Gonna let me have a little taste?”

Satya bit her lip hard for a moment to suppress the riotous crash of arousal these words produced within her. “Please,” she breathed, and Jamie chuckled. 

He leaned in and kissed her, chaste and soft, and then the sweetness began to bleed away to be replaced by hunger, and he began to kiss and nip his way down her throat, interspersing light kisses with hot, open-mouthed bites that left her gasping, the wetness of his tongue dragging over her skin making her shiver. He spent a while paying homage to her breasts, sucking and teasing and nipping until she was mess of want beneath him, her fingers wound tightly through his hair and her thighs spread, trying to coax him closer. Jamie got to his knees then, and continued his southward journey, giving a sharp bite at her hipbone that made her moan, fingers clenching in his hair.

Cruel man that he was, he didn’t simply plunge in like she wanted; he teased, running his tongue lightly over soaked lace when he finally moved between her legs, kissing and nipping enough to cause pleasure but not relief.

_ “Jamie-” _

His name on her lips made him groan and Jamie looked up her, a wicked grin curling his lips.

“Say it again,” he demanded, and Satya complied, her fingers curling in his hair.

“Again.”

“Jamie-!”

He slipped one finger into her underwear and drew them aside, licking her in a firm, wet stripe in the same motion, and Satya closed her eyes and cried out, thoroughly unprepared for the sensation. A deep chuckle issued from between her legs as Jamie continued to explore her wet folds, before he found her clit with his tongue, running over her most sensitive place slowly, deliberately, and Satya’s head tipped back, her eyes closed and lips parted from the sensation.

Oh, he was  _ good. _

Jamie was more than generous and the heat simmering in her veins strengthened and grew with every slow slick of his tongue over her clit. Satya tugged on his hair and moaned, needing more. Jamie obliged and slid two fingers inside, curling and crooking and moving in such perfect sync with his mouth that Satya clamped her eyes shut, a deep tremble working through her thighs as her approaching orgasm built and built and then swept over her in a fierce wave of pleasure as she cried out.

Fighting for breath, Satya tugged on his hair, and Jamie drew back slightly, his expression satisfied and his mouth shiny with her slick.

“Good?” he asked, and Satya nodded, enjoying the throb of pleasure that still pulsed through her body.

“Very.”

“Good.” Jamie stood up then, hands gripping her thighs as he leaned in and Satya kissed him back, the salty-sweet taste of her own flesh strong on his lips, but she was more interested in what was happening next. She trailed her hands down his chest and slipped her fingers into the waistband of his boxers, tugging teasingly before she pulled them down and reached in to capture her prize. Jamie groaned against her mouth as Satya’s fingers closed around his hard cock, and she pulled back from the kiss, the better to thoroughly inspect him. He was warm and heavy in her hand, and Satya performed a few experimental strokes along his length, and when he groaned again she was quite ready to drop to her knees before him.

Bizarrely, as Jamie helped her down from the sink, he then gently spun her away from him, and Satya stared at their reflections in the mirror with some puzzlement, but then as Jamie stepped in close, his eyes dark with want and his erection pressed snugly to be backside, she watched him cup her breasts and understood what he wanted. She bit her lip as she watched him touching her, and then, with his mouth hot at her ear and his metal hand over her breasts, Satya watched in the mirror as he slid his other hand down the length of her body, settling at her hip.

Satya let her head tip to the side, allowing him access as he nipped and kissed at her neck, his hands smoothing across her bare skin and making her shiver, but when her eyes drifted shut he nipped at her ear.

“Watch,” he commanded, and Satya bit her lip, opening her eyes and watching him cup her breasts and tease her nipples, and she reached back, putting her metal hand at his hip and the other on his arm, seeking contact.

“Jamie…” she breathed, and he swore, grinding his cock against her ass. 

“You want this, yeah?” he asked, letting go of her enough that he could take hold of his cock and press it against the junction of her thighs, asking for entry, and Satya bit her lip to suppress a moan.

“Yes!”

Jamie grinned at her in the mirror and Satya watched, entranced at the sight of their naked bodies together, as he nudged her thighs further apart and rubbed the head of his cock over the cleft of her ass and then down and -

“Wait!” Satya turned in his arms, breathless. “We need a condom.”

The look on his face was a hilarious mix of shock, disappointment and frustration. “Fuckin’ - I don’t have any-”

“I do,” Satya interrupted, and brought her hands up to weave blue light between her fingertips, and when she plucked the condom packet from the air Jamie’s expression was stunned, but pleased.

“Talk about convenient,” he purred in her ear, busily tearing open the packet. Jamie held the condom up to the light and squinted at it with the air of a jeweler appraising some valuable gem, and Satya laughed.

“You doubt my abilities?” she asked airly, and Jamie grinned at her as he rolled the condom down his hard length.

“Guess we’re gonna find out, huh? Turn around, Satya.”

A shiver ran through her and Satya turned; she watched in the mirror as Jamie kissed her neck and stepped in close, his metal hand on her abdomen, holding her tightly to him as he pressed her thighs apart and slipped his cock between her legs. He ran the head of him along her slit, making her sigh in pleasure from the pressure over her clit, and then he found her entrance and pressed in, agonisingly slow, making her arch her back and moan from the sheer sensation.

Satya braced her hands on the sink as he moved, driving deep within her with powerful thrusts that made her cry out with each stroke. She watched her breasts bouncing in the mirror and saw the way Jamie’s hands roamed over her body and it made arousal burn through her veins, making her push back against him, desperate for more.

“Oh fuck yeah,” Jamie groaned, his hands gripping her hips and his eyes meeting hers in the mirror. “Fuck - Satya - you feel so fuckin’ good-”

“Ah - Jamie - please-!”

He slowed down, driving deep and slow and the look on his face was teasing, and Satya glared at him in the mirror.

“What do y’need, darl?” he purred in her ear, and Satya leaned back against him, craving contact. 

“More,” she sighed, and took his hand and led it down between her thighs. 

It felt so  _ good _ \- Jamie kissed and bit at her throat, providing a sharp contrast the deep, unmistakable pleasure of having him deep inside, thrusting slowly to the movements of his fingers over her clit. Satya’s eyes closed and she moaned, feeling the rush of another approaching climax burn through her. 

He kept the perfect rhythm and Satya gripped the marble sink top as hard as she could, needing something, anything, to brace herself against when the bubble of arousal burst and she came, eyes squeezed shut and panting hard as she cried out, clenching around him.

Distantly, Satya heard Jamie swear savagely and grip her hips that much harder, his thrusts turning sloppy and unbalanced before he finally buried himself to the hilt with a groan, and came inside her.

Satya opened her eyes on a shaky breath and found Jamie curled over her body, his breathing heavy and his face buried in her hair. She liked the appearance of it in the mirror quite a bit, and was content to stay there for a few long moments as they both recovered, until Jamie straightened up and grinned at her as he pulled out. Satya bit her lip at the loss of that feeling of being filled so perfectly but she remained where she was, giving him the illusion of privacy as he dealt with the condom, tying it off and throwing it into the bin under the sink. 

The condom dealt with, Jamie reached out with hands smoothing down her body, and Satya straightened up and turned around and he drew her into a kiss. Her naked breasts were sweat-slicked against his chest and Satya threaded her fingers into his hair and melted into the kiss. Gentle but deep, the kiss awakened further longing within her, and when they parted she didn’t let him go. 

Jamie kept his arm around her waist and drew his fingers over her cheek, his expression tender. “That was incredible,” he breathed, and Satya flushed with embarrassment and pleasure.

“It was,” she murmured, and he grinned, fingers now smoothing through her tousled hair, but then his grin fell slightly.

“‘Spose you’ll want me t’go, yeah?” there was disappointment in his tone, with a valiant effort to disguise it, and Satya’s stomach clenched at the idea of the loss of him.

“Stay.” The word popped out thoughtlessly, and Jamie stilled. Satya looked down, fingers curling on his shoulders and she bit her lip in embarrassment. “That is - if you would like. You could stay.”

Jamie touched her face, the soft pressure of his fingers on her jaw making her look up at him, and his smile was so pleased it made her ache. “I’d like that,” he said softly.

Satya wasn’t sure how they made it out of the bathroom - naked and afraid, self-conscious but well kissed, they stumbled together out from under the heated lights and reached the kitchen, where Jamie tasted champagne bubbles from her lips. Tipsy and naked, champagne in hand, with the lights dimmed and her ambient music playing softly in the background, Jamie gathered her to him and they began to revolve slowly in time to the music, and Satya closed her eyes and nestled close, her head against his shoulder, feeling utterly content.

They ended up in her bed at long last, warm and cozy beneath her sheets, her body pressed against the length of his. There’d been the awkwardness of having to let him go so he could take his prosthetics off and Satya had fiddled with the sheets, feeling self-conscious, but Jamie had laid his prosthetics down and moved in close to kiss her sweetly, and she had melted into his embrace.

Now, with her eyes closed and her body utterly physically fulfilled, Satya felt a calmness that had her on the verge of sleep, and so she pressed in close to his warmth let out a contented breath, before she fell asleep.

 

* * *

Satya awoke to an empty bed.

It took her a few moments to register why her body ached and when it hit, she stretched in glorious contentment and rolled over with a smile, but was met with empty sheets. Her smile slipped and she rolled back the other way, but he wasn’t there either, and her smile fell completely. Satya clenched her fingers in the sheet and bit her lip to stifle the sudden, bitter disappointment, and then she registered a voice.

Satya turned towards her bathroom with her teeth sunk deeply into her lower lip as for a moment she fought the reflexive instinct to call the police and defend herself against the intruder, but then she registered who it was and she stilled, fingers clenched in the sheets as she listened. Satya realised with a rush of pure joy that Jamie hadn’t left after all - he was on the phone from the sounds of things, speaking quietly but still audible.

“-I’m in her bathroom,” he was saying, sounding somewhat frustrated. “Dunno what t’do next.”

There was a short pause while whoever he was speaking to spoke, and then Jamie made an irritated sound.

“No - Hog, listen. I don’t wanna dip out on her. She - no, shut up and  _ listen _ \- she’s still asleep. I just - I wanna…” Jamie took a deep breath and lowered his already quiet voice further, and Satya strained to hear what he was saying. “I don’t wanna just leave,” Jamie said finally. “She’s - different, Hoggie. She’s special. I wanna see her again.”

Butterflies erupted in her stomach and Satya clenched her fingers together, and Jamie spoke again.

“Yeah, I guess. I’ll - I’m gonna stay. See what she says when she wakes up. Um… hope she doesn’t kick me out.” He let out a nervous giggle, then a frustrated sigh. “Look, tell the boys I’m busy. I’ll get back this arvo.”

There was silence for a bit.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Righto, see y’later, Hog.”

Satya’s eyes widened in horror and she hurriedly lay down, and tucked herself back in to feign sleep before the bathroom door opened. She heard him moving stealthily towards her and tried to relax her mouth - she couldn’t seem to stop smiling. 

He wanted to see her again.

He’d called her  _ special. _

The bed dipped down slightly from his weight as he sat, and Satya kept her breathing even as his touch startled her - he moved a lock of hair back from her cheek, then brushed his thumb over her lips. It was hard to mask her reaction, so as Jamie lay down, Satya opened her eyes and found Jamie lying beside her, brow furrowed as he stared at the ceiling.

“Mm… good morning,” she murmured, and his head snapped round to look at her. 

“Good mornin’,” he replied, and rolled onto his side to face her properly. “Did I wake ya?”

“Yes, but I don’t mind,” she lied, and, emboldened by what she’d overheard, placed her hand on his chest. “Did you sleep well?”

Jamie’s eyes widened slightly and then he realised what she’d done, and his smile was so pleased it hurt. “Yeah. Great, actually.” He touched her hand where it rested on his chest and smoothed his fingers along her arm, his expression plainly gauging her reaction, and when he reached her body he placed his hand in the small of her back and drew her close. Satya nestled against him and relished the warmth of him for a long moment, then opened her eyes.

“I suppose you’ll have to leave soon,” she said softly. “They’ll be wondering where you are.”

Jamie hesitated for a moment, then brushed a finger over her nose. “Nah. Already rang my manager before.”  _ Ah. _ So that's who it had been. “I’ve got the morning off. Need to be there in the afternoon, though.”

“Oh. What a shame,” Satya murmured, and Jamie inhaled sharply. 

“Yeah? Want me t’stick around, do ya?” 

Satya stifled a smile. “Didn’t you tell me yesterday that you wanted to see me again?” Jamie was clearly groping for an answer, and Satya smiled at him. “I won’t say no to that,” she breathed, and Jamie pressed a kiss into her hair. 

“Good.” He said, and Satya closed her eyes and let herself melt against him. She wasn’t sure where this was going or where it would end, but for the moment, in his arms, she was content. He wanted to see her again, and she him, and while things were new and uncertain, she couldn’t let a connection like this go to waste.

**Author's Note:**

> ok it's been six billion years since I posted fic but here it is! my very self-indulgent soulmate cricketrat au that is also a belated birthday present for my beautiful friend Ola! happy birthday babe, I hope you enjoyed your present!
> 
> i really enjoy love at first sight shit ok,,, and soulmate bullshit is the only reason satya 'responsiblity' vaswani is gonna fuck a dude literally the day she met him,,, also cricketrat is hot don't even try to tell me he isn't


End file.
